HERAKLION

Almost a third of all Cretans live in this prefecture. It’s for most visitors the city where they arrive by airplane or ferry. It’s mainly a business place and to stay for a day or 2, but not for a fortnight. There are lots of shops, and very good hotels. Heraklion is famous for the 2nd best Archaeological Museum of Greece. On show here the objects found in the various excavations around Crete. Some date back 2000 years before the birth of Christ and show us that the Cretans were real artist in making jewellery, sculptures, ceramics, paintings etc. etc.
Crete is proud to be known as the roots of the European Culture and more physical evidence we find in the excavation of Knossos, 5 Km. south of the city. The remainder of the palace made by King Minos and his people belongs to the top 3 of ancient sites in Greece. Nobody leaves Crete without a visit to Knossos, even if some parts are fake and restored up to the idea of Sir Arthur Evans.

South after Knossos starts the main agricultural activity of the prefecture, which is grape growing for consumption and the wine. Many countries claim to be the inventors of the “drink of the Gods”, but near Vathipetro we find the first Wine press factories from 3000 years B.C. In the museum of Archanes are more huge stones used for grape pressing. Today we do this is in modern factories and some are open for a tasting session, don’t drink to much if you are en-route.

The country side here is cut into 2 parts by the Psiloritis mountains and the Asterousia Mountans. The last part lies on the southern coast line and that’s why it’s not so much developed for tourism. The village Lendas is a small but remote exception here. More west is Matala, with hotels and apartments and the caves on the beach, which are famous as a burial site, a home for the poor and the hippies. It’s here, as the story says, that Zeus landed disguised as a white bull with his princess Europa, but nearby is Komo’s ancient Minoan harbour, so it could also to there.

Between Asterousia and the southern slopes of the Psiloritis, lies the Messara, Crete’s vegetable area, with greenhouses for Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Melons, Flowers, etc.etc. In the middle there’s the village Vori with an award winning Folk art museum.
The second important Minoan site is nearby, it’s Pheastos and it was the palace & residence from Radamanthys (Minos brother) and his people. Here they found a bronze disc with probably the first written language in Europe. Going into the direction of Heraklion city we meet Gortina, the old Roman capital after the birth of Christ.

The last district we descibe is the north-east part of the prefecture. With tourist resorts like Chersonnisos, Malia, Stalis, Gouves, etc. When you meet friends at home that were on holiday on Crete, there’s a 50% chance that they stayed in one of these places. Strings with hotels, bars, discos, fast-food, tourist bossiness, that’s all you meet here and although there’s a market for it, for us its not the real Crete. Find the more traditional villages in the mountains like Koutouloufari, Piskopiano, Kastelli etc.